“I eat three meals a day but I keep hearing about portion control. If I’m trying to lose weight, how will eating smaller meals more frequently benefit me?”
Secrets of Portion Control
There are several reasons for eating several smaller meals throughout the day.
When you’re only eating 3 times per day, you’re typically going around 5 hours between each meal.
This is too long. Waiting that long between meals will trigger hunger and fatigue- not a good combo on a diet.
Waiting 5 or 6 hours between meals is even worse if you’re working out regularly, being that your metabolism will be cranked up begging to be fed.
Smaller Meals Are Better For Digestion
Smaller meals are ideal for optimal digestion. Eating less food per meal allows the body to do its work more efficiently- breaking down and partitioning nutrients.
You will feel less sluggish after smaller meals, as well as keep the pipes clean.
Smaller Meals Promote Consistent Nutrient Uptake
A constant flow of nutrients to the muscles and brain keep you energized, alert and keep your metabolism running hot.
When you eat protein, it’s broken down into amino acids. Those amino acids flood the blood stream and head where they’re needed.
If you’re working out properly, they will go to the muscles that need repair. The repair process burns calories- good for fat loss.
The amino acids will also serve to avoid a mid day slump, as they counteract serotonin (the “sleepy” hormone) levels that are common after large meals.
Portion Control’s Weight Loss Magic
Portion control conditions your body for smaller meals.
This may be one of the most important effects of eating smaller meals throughout the day. If you consistently eat smaller meals, your re- conditioning your body to only want smaller meals.
Your body gets used to the smaller meals and in fact, after about 14- 21 days you won’t even want big meals anymore.
And of course, less overall food intake = weight loss!
It is no secret that portion control can help you lose weight fast. Many people have used portion control to quickly lose weight and keep it off for good! But what are some of the additional benefits of portion control? Here are just a few:
10 Benefits Of Portion Control
1. Portion control helps you manage your calorie intake more effectively to create a calorie deficit, which means that your body will receive important nutrients that it needs (and the nutrients it doesn’t need, like sugar and low-quality fats).
2. Portion control can help you improve your eating habits. You will learn to slow down, eat more slowly, and savor every bite of food that you take!
This is important for your weight loss success. If you scarf down large amounts of food, you are more likely to gain weight—and almost certain NOT to lose it!
3. When you practice portion control, you can better distribute the food calories throughout your day.
This will help keep your metabolism running strong and avoid large drops in your metabolic rate (which often happens during a long period of dieting or severe calorie cutting).
4. You can save money with portion control by eating longer and having fewer meals.
This means that you will spend less on food, and your total monthly grocery bills will be lower.
Keep in mind that when we eat larger portions, we often turn to high-calorie snacks or dessert after dinner—and all of that extra food adds up!
With portion control, you are less likely to do this.
5. You will be able to eat out more when following portion control because restaurants serve large portions (which means that it’s easy to overeat).
But if the restaurant serves normal-sized meals, you will still be consuming fewer calories than usual!
This is a great way to socialize and enjoy a night out.
6. Following portion control can help you reduce snacking and mindless eating throughout the day.
Eating according to your diet plan will prevent you from being too hungry, which means that it’s easier to stay on track.
You won’t have sugar cravings or hunger pains as often, so this makes it much easier to follow through with your weight loss plan.
7. You can avoid feeling hungry all day long by sticking with the lower-calorie portions that you will be eating on your diet plan.
This means that you won’t need to constantly reach for fatty or sugary snacks throughout the day, which certainly helps prevent weight gain.
8. Portion control prevents “dieting fatigue.”
Dieting fatigue is that feeling of exhaustion, burnout, or even depression that can hit some people.
While some may feel this after a week on their diet plan, others feel it long before they are halfway through the first month of dieting.
Learning to manage your portions will prevent you from feeling burned out or fatigued—keeping you motivated for the long haul.
9. When you practice portion control, you can still enjoy your favorite foods—in moderation!
For example, if you love ice cream (like I do), you can eat it on your diet plan in small amounts one or two times per week.
This allows you to stay true to your diet without completely depriving yourself of your favorite foods.
10. Portion control may help you lose weight faster than other methods.
Because portion control allows you to still enjoy your favorite foods, it is easier (and therefore more likely) that you will stick with your diet plan for the long haul!
When people start losing weight quickly, they are often excited to continue seeing results.